Sha-Rela
by flamingflight
Summary: Sha-Rela...they were all searching for it...
1. Little Boy Lost

Sha-Rela

Episode 1, Little Boy Lost

Author's Notes: Don't look at me. Too much Cowboy Bebop can do things to your head. The first chapter's pretty short, but the others will get longer and we will see more characters.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi! Yeah! Some situations are like Cowboy Bebop so I have to say that isn't mine. A lot of references to that series also.

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They say there's a place in the galaxy somewhere. A place hidden off, just at the corner of the Universe among the stars. A place where the lost ones go to find their spirits or to drink their full of troubles. The music's always lazy and slow there and the people are all smiles. This place was that of the angels and of the demons of the world. Everyone was welcome, but only the truly desperate and indifferent could find this little piece of heaven...and this little piece of hell. 

So, look into the sky sometime and maybe you'll see it, tucked away somewhere.

Maybe you'll see Sha-Rela.

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[A television screen turns on. It's a really old tape, kinda faded and off-color. We see the front of a blue dress over a puffy white blouse. There are giggles and then the figure backs up. When the camera clears up again, we see the whole surrounding image. It's in a green park. There are three kids standing in front of the screen. Two girls and a boy. The children are around four to five years old. They seem pretty happy enough. The red-headed girl with the pig-tail in the middle are obviously holding the other two children to her by the waist. To the left of her is a little boy with black hair tied in a pig-tail, also. They seem quiet alike. Twins, maybe? To her right is another girl, the one that had been standing in front of the camera. She has short, blue hair and a cute face. They're all cute children.]

"Hi, I'm..." the red-haired girl giggles and so do the other two. She tries again. 

"Hi, I'm-" this time the blue-haired kid giggles and the red-haired one joins in. She elbows the blue-haired one lightly in the stomach. 

"Stop it, Akane-chan," she laughs. "You're making me laugh. I can't do this if you make me laugh!"

"Yeah, tomboy, shut up," the boy says and the blue-haired girl immediately stops laughing. She bends forward to face the boy.

"What did you say?" she asked angrily. The red-haired girl pushes Akane's face back so she could no longer see the boy.

"Come on, guys. Stop it." The red-haired girl scolds slightly and murmurs of `I'm sorry' were heard. The girl turns back to the camera.

"Okay, I'm Ranko Saotome..." she waits a few seconds, but when nothing happens, she elbows the boy.

"And I'm Ranma Saotome," the boy says.

"He's my brother," Ranko whispers to the camera. She turns to Akane.

"Oh! And I'm Akane Tendo..." the blue-haired girl waits a few moments and then whispers to the camera, "I'm the best friend."

"And the fiancee," Ranko whispers.

"Ranko!" Akane gives an indignant shout, but only gets an innocent smile in return. 

"We're sending this out to our future selves."

"Yeah, so that you would remember us," Akane piped in.

All three turn to the camera and expressions of seriousness take their faces.

"We want to ask you, our future selves, a very important question," the red-haired girl said.

Both girls turn to the pig-tailed boy. He raises his large, blue-gray eyes to the camera and whispers, "Have you found Sha-Rela yet?"

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The ship glides through the area of Space 9 with grace and ease. It's odd to think how this hunk of junk could move through anywhere with ease, but it does. It's an old ship from way back when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth...or at least it seems like it. All would be silent if it wasn't for the occasional sounds of coughing the ship would go through. After these coughing spells, a cloud of smoke would emit from the engine and all would be quiet again. Inside the ship, only two living beings were detected...a black-haired, pig-tailed boy and a rather large, balding man.

The boy, who looks around sixteen, is sitting in front of a small t.v. on a table. He's sitting in meditation-style, but was actually watching the screen with a rather dopey-looking expression on his face. Two people in cowboy suits come onto the screen. The show's a posting place for Bounty Hunters.

"Okay, cowgeroos," the blond girl on the screen says sweetly. "Have ewe got a treat for you." She gives a shot with her fake gun and the picture of a small, black piglet comes onto the screen. It has a distinctive yellow-and-black bandanna around it's neck.

"This little piglet right here is named Charlotte," she says. "Yes, sir, he's given a full name and everything. He was raised in some sort of lab up west in the Interval 65 section and has escaped. Now, his owners want him back. The bounty on this one is pretty great. 65,000 dungerees. You heard that? 65, 000 for this little piglet, but watch out now, hunters. They say he's a smart little piggy." The screen gets turned off and the boy gets a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Hey Pops," Ranma calls out.

The balding man pokes his head through the kitchen doorway.

"Hm?"

"What do you think about this bounty on the pig?" he asks the man.

"How much did they say it was?" the man asked.

"65, 000 dungerees," Ranma answered. The man's eyes widen considerably.

"Then, what are we doing lazing around here? Let's go get this little pig, boy," the man said as he left the kitchen and headed toward the controls. 

"Yeah," Ranma gave a hollow laugh. "It's about time we had a decent meal."

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The streetlights are on in Yuma, the city capital of the planet Yuranis. A figure in a hooded cloak moved stealthily through the night into an alleyway. She has a bundle clutched close to her. The bundle gives a squeal in the alleyway and she shushes it.

"Shh," the figure in the hood says to the bundle. "Do you want them to hear us?"

"Too late, little girl," a voice says. The figure looks up to see three burly looking guys in the alleyway with her. They all look pretty mean and the one in the middle had a vein popping out of the corner of his head. 

"Give us the pig and we won't hurt you," the middle guy with the popping vein commanded. The figure gave a little laugh herself. 

"Why should I do that?" she asked.

If it was possible, the guy's face got even uglier.

"Because if you don't," he said. "We'll just have to finish you off and get the pig ourselves."

All three of the men pull out guns and start shooting. Bullets fly everywhere and the girl just managed to give a squeak before moving quickly to dodge the bullets. As she moved, she pulled out what appeared to be a small, wooden mallet and started flinging it this way and that quickly. It took the three men quite awhile to realize that her little hammer was actually deflecting the bullets back to them. It didn't take long before the three got hit and were on the floor.

The hooded figure walked over and the bundle in her arm opened to reveal a squealing, black pig.

"If I had wanted to give P-chan back, I would have collected the bounty myself," she said to the three unconscious men as though this explained everything. Soon, approaching sounds of sirens were heard. The girl gave one final look at the three men before turning to leave. It really was sad how pathetic some of the other bounty hunters were today. 

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Ranma and Genma stood in front of a little hut. They were on the desert of some planet and there seemed to be no living life except for that of themselves and the man inside the hut. All that could be seen for miles were sand dunes and red rocks. In the sky, three blazing suns beat down on them and the planet.

"Explain to me, again, old man," Ranma asked as he scrunched up his face. "Why are we here?"

"They say he has a third eye and can see things. Since we don't have any leads to find this pig, I thought he could help us," was Genma's reply. "Now, go in, son."

"Why don't you go in and ask him the questions?" came the ever defensive question.

"Because he wants you. Now go!" with that, Genma pushed the pig-tailed boy into the flap of the hut.

The first thing that hit Ranma when he entered the hut was the smell. It smelled of medicine and weed and too many plants and herbs. There wasn't that much light and surprisingly, not that much smoke either. Trinkets and odd plants hung from the wall and the boy had to duck his head not to hit things hanging from the ceiling. Ranma walked over to a side of the hut where a skinny, old man was sitting with closed eyes.

"Um, hey," he said when he neared the man. "I was wondering if you could help me."

"Yes, yes, I can help you," the man said quickly, but he did not open his eyes. "You have many problems, boy. Many, many problems."

Ranma gave a little snort.

"Don't we all have problems, old man?" 

"Yes, and you are no different. Your problems...they center around a girl. Women bring trouble for you, my boy," the old man said as he started to rock back and forth.

Ranma's eyes grew tired and sad.

"Women bring trouble to all men, old man. You should know that in your old age. Women are trouble."

"Ah. You are right. Women are trouble...but you seek trouble, my boy. You seek a girl. Not just any woman. You seek a girl. A red-haired girl with dark blue eyes like crystals and the sea. It has been very long. Who is she? You search for her and yet you do not know who she is," the old man said. The pig-tailed boy's eyes had widened slightly and he tried to scrutinize the elder for a second.

"The past haunts you, old man. Everyone knows that. The past haunts you and it haunts me-"

The old man waved his arms and interrupted Ranma, "But you do not know the past! You do not know your past! That is why you search for this girl with the red-hair. You dream of her and you know she means something to you, but you do not know what. You think you love her."

"What is love, old man? I don't believe in the word," the boy laughed.

"Don't lie to me! You do believe in the word. But listen to me, boy, you are searching for the wrong one. Do not search for the red-haired one. She will not bring you this piece and this love that you seek. Searching for her will only bring you pain. Do not search for Ranko. She is the wrong one."

Ranma's eyes hardened and so did his chin. What does this old man know? He lives in a hut in the middle of nowhere with his drugs and his herbs. What does he know?

The old man stops rocking and gives a sigh. He slowly opens his eyes. They are yellow and red.

"I know many things, boy," he says softly. "I wish I do not...but I know many things. But you did not come here to listen to my advice. Young people these days. You came here for the information on the bounty. Yes...yes...I'll give you information on the bounty. You need to find this bounty...it is very important to you and your much sought after peace, my boy. The bounty is now in Yuma, on Yuranis. It is with a girl. You will find it, but you will not collect the money, my boy. Go now...go and leave me in peace...but do not forget what I told you. Ranko is not the one that you seek. It is the other one. It is the other girl."

"What other gi-" the boy started to say but the old man's eyes had already closed.

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Ranma walked out of the flap, his thoughts whirling.

"So?" Genma asked. "What did he say?"

The boy looked up and for once, he looked like a boy to Genma.

"He said we'll find the piglet in Yuma," Ranma answered.

"That's it?" the balding man asked, trying to see into the boy. He failed. Ranma turned towards the sky...and then the ship.

"The rest doesn't matter. He was just a babbling old man."

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The girl looked over her shoulder, back at the two people with the photos in their hands. It was more bounty hunters searching for P-chan. This time it was an old man with a bald head and a boy with black hair tied into a pig-tail. The man she dismissed, but there was something about that boy. Something so utterly familiar. She knew she should just skip out of Yuma and move on with P-chan, but she couldn't. So, as a result, the girl had been tailing these two on Yuma for two days now. So far, they haven't been any closer to finding P-chan then any of the others. They didn't even know she was following them. Amateurs.

The girl turned her head around and started to walk away from the two. She made it a few feet before something cold and metal connected with the back of her neck. She fell down unconscious.

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It sure is lighted, wherever I am, the girl thought as her eyes started to open. She moved her eyes around to fully take in the place. She was in a living room of some kind, apprently handcuffed down to a four-legged chair. Suddenly, a face popped into her field of vision. It was that pig-tailed boy from before! He was giving her this dopey-eyed, questioning look. 

"Who are you? Let me go!" she demanded. 

He looked at her for awhile before asking, "Why were you following us?"

The girl jutted out her chin in stubborness. She wasn't going to tell any of them anything. 

"I wasn't following anyone," she denied. 

"Don't lie. We know you've been following us ever since we got on the planet. What do you know about the pig, girl?" She finally noticed the man off to the side of the boy.

The boy was looking at her in a way that was making her feel nervous now. Goodness, were his eyes actually gray?

"What's your name, tomboy?" he asked.

"I'm not a tomboy!" came the reflexive reply. There was silence as the two teens looked at each other. What had just happened? Something...something in a memory. The boy's eyes clouded over as he backed up.

"My name is Akane...Akane Tendo," the girl said. 

"I'm Ranma," the boy said. They both looked at each other. Akane stared at the boy's black pigt-tail...there was something so familiar about that pig-tail. Ranma looked at the girl's short, blue hair. There was something so familiar about that hair. 

"And I'm Genma. Now can we move on? Where's the pig, girl?" And the moment was lost. Ranma shook his head and his eyes fell back under guard as he gave a half-grin. The blue-haired girl couldn't help but feel a sense of lost over that.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said again as she looked out the window. They were in space. She was so far away from P-chan. Poor, little P-chan...lost and alone. She couldn't let them find him, but she first needed to get her ship. 

"Fine!" Genma said as he threw his arms up in the air and left the room. Ranma started to leave, but then thought better of it. He turned around and stared into the girl's brown eyes.

"What are you?" he asked softly, the old man's words from before ringing in his ears.

She thought to tell him the truth. To tell him 'I don't know, could you tell me?'...but she didn't...because she didn't know this boy...and she didn't trust him,

So instead she said, "I'm just a lost, little kid." Akane had turned towards the window, but she still heard his next words...whispered close to her ear.

"So am I."

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Akane waited until the boy left before testing the handcuffs. Damn! They were secure. Oh well, she always had a backup. Looking around to make sure no one was looking, the girl raised her left foot along her right leg until she reached a small remote control tied to a garter-like thing around her leg. 

"Sorry, boys," she sang as she pressed the button with her leg and looked out the window. "But my ride's on it's way."

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Ranma laid back on the stairs, trying to catch some peanuts in his mouth when he heard the sound of the air vent door being let out. Oh shit! He sat up with a start and looked out the window just in time to see the girl get into her ship. Once safely inside her own ship, Akane took off the air helmet and looked back at him. She smiled and waved before bending down to pick something up. It was the pig!

"Say bye, P-chan," she laughed as she waved one of the pig's feet at him. Then, her smile faded somewhat and she put the pig down. 

The girl looked back towards Ranma and gave a half-grin.

"Bye-bye, Saotome, hope you find yourself soon," she said softly before turning away and steering the ship off into space.

That was why she didn't see his lips say, "Good-bye, tomboy."

As Ranma watched the ship steer away, he thought about what the old man had said, 'She's not the one you're looking for...it's the other one...the other girl...'

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Women are trouble...men love to go looking for trouble...

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Author's Notes: Okay, this was my break story. Now, back to work.


	2. Fast Lane Lady

Sha-Rela

Episode 2, Fast Lane Lady

Author's Notes: Okay, here it is, the next chapter to my 'break' piece. Cowboy Bebop sill kicks major butt. Just for anyone who's wondering...SP, BD is not finished. It isn't. It's still in progress and I know I need to dish out a new chapter soon, but well...I'm really lazy. Okay, that's it...oh yeah, e-mail me with comments at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I have no idea who Cowboy Bebop belongs to....just not me.

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The girl sat rigid in her wooden chair.

The room is dark and the only light came from the cracks where the shades could not completely manage to cover the windows. The girl's face and body is shadowed and not much could be seen about her. By her stood a semi-tall male figure whose features can not be identified or seen either.

The male figure leans down slightly and traces along her jaw with his hand.

The girl flinches away and the shadows catch on the scars of her face.

"They will save me," she whispered. Her voice was raw and barely a whisper. It has been too long...too many years in this torment...but one hope kept her strong...kept her surviving. They will save her. 

The man smiled. 

"I'm counting on it."

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Akane sat with her feet perched on the steering wheel as he ship floated along in space. She had no money and her fuel was running low. The best way to preserve it was to turn off the engine and float along as she waited for a miracle. The little television attached to a corner of her ship droned on as she threw mini-chips in the air and caught them with her mouth. They were her last food supply. P-chan wiggled in her arms just as the Bounty show came on. 

"Here you go," Akane said she placed P-chan on the floor and then sat back to watch the show.

There was a picture on the screen of a short, brown-haired girl that looked slightly older than Akane. The bounty hunter's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the reward price of 500,000 dungeroos. Were they kidding? They couldn't be. Akane turned and grabbed a nearby pen and scrap piece of paper. She, then, proceeded to copy down any vital information about the bounty. After that was done, the bounty hunter turned off her television set and with a burst of laughter steered the ship to Efter 26.

If she caught this bounty before the week was through, she was going to treat herself and P-chan to a big dinner. Thinking about it made Akane's grin grow as her ship drove off.

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The pig-tailed boy and man stood inconspicuously in the casino. They both wore dark suits as befitting their elegant surroundings. This wasn't any regular, run of the mill gambling house. This was a diamond casino in a five star station. The boy was biting his bottom lip as he flipped a blue chip in the air and caught it...again and again and again. 

"So, you think she might be here?" the balding man asked his partner casually.

The boy didn't miss a beat. He continued to throw the chip.

"Of course. We talked to everyone else. It all leads here. Be on the watch, though, Pop. This bounty is 500,000 dungeroos for a reason, you know. She's not gonna be easy to-" Ranma stopped as a waitress approached them with a bowed head and two drinks on a silver platter.

"Thank you," he and Genma said as they took the glasses. The girl bowed a little deeper and then turned to walk away.

As he stared after the familiar, blue-hair at the back of the retreating waitress's neck, Ranma ordered softly, "Don't swallow the champagne, Pop. Seems we met an old friend." Genma looked up in surprise before nodding slightly and tipping the glass back. He drank the champagne, closed his mouth and made a gulping movement with his throat. Ranma did the same. The two kept their mouth firmly closed as they pretended to walk around and look at the tables. When they reached the red lounge sofa outside the men's room, they began to stagger before falling on the thing. 

Akane smiled happily from her corner before walking over to check their rate of unconsciousness. They seemed to be breathing deep like they were supposed to and so she left them alone. That went smoother than she thought it would. The drug worked faster than she anticipated it would but that was okay. 

Unseen to her, the two 'unconscious' men silently spat their champagne into a corner of the couch.

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At a nearby table, a brown-haired dealer watched the three with an observant eyes. Her experienced hands cut and dealt the cards quickly without looking at them. She was smart enough to know that those two were not the usual betters and that blue-haired girl definitely did not work here. Nabiki knew to check and memorize all the people she would be associating with and that girl was not one of her co-workers. 

She had to give the three credit though. They were able to trace her here of all places. She had been disgusted when she saw that awful bounty show. They placed a price on her head for 500,000 dungeroos. How dare they? the girl thought calmly (her rage like cold fire through her veins) as she inspected her nails. She was worth much more than that!

"Do you mind?" a blond boy in his early twenties said with a sneer as he tapped his cards. His father probably owned some star mine somewhere over on Canyon 6 or Canyon 4. 

Nabiki gave a false smile as she dealt him a card from the bottom of the pile.

Stupid kid. She used to buy and sell family fortunes like his everyday.

Suddenly, a small, cute shriek came from somewhere to Nabiki's far left.

"Nabi-chan! Oh Nabi-chan! Is that you? It's been so long, oneechan!" Nabiki looked up with wide eyes just to see the blue-haired waitress from before wagging her arms wildly. The girl's face was no longer so serious and she looked exactly like an innocent, little sister. Impressive, Nabiki managed to think before her mind whirled. Now what was she going to do? Run? She couldn't do that. That would cause a scene and exactly what the girl wanted. She couldn't hide. That would be just plain stupid since she was already spotted...and Nabiki was anything but stupid. Best course was to stay still and do what the girl wanted. 

Besides, Nabiki thought as she fingered the small gun under her uniform vest, I needed a ride out of here anyway. She could handle this little bounty hunter amateur. 

Akane had been running at Nabiki all this time and upon reaching her, wrapped her arms around Nabiki's neck and hugged her.

"Oh, oneechan," she giggled happily out loud as she pressed a sharp needle to Nabiki's neck. Not enough to pierce the skin but enough to cause Nabiki's heart rate to involuntarily jump a few beats.

"Say one word and you'll drop on the floor. I play the part of a mourning little sister very well," the blue-haired girl warned, her voice no longer so high and cute.

Nabiki gulped before screaming in joy, "Oh, I've missed you so, little sister."

Akane smiled.

"Good, now follow me." 

To everyone else, it looked like two reunited siblings hugging each other tightly as they left the table and headed towards the exit.

"Hey, what about my game?" the blond boy from before yelled.

Nabiki ignored him...her entire concentration on the needle in her neck.

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Nabiki and Akane were walking outside in the parking lot when they heard the shout behind them.

"Hey, you two, stop!" Nabiki felt the girl behind her stop and so she did too. Neither of them turned around to look at the three casino staff.

"She can't leave the grounds," one of the guys declared as they pointed at Nabiki (which was really stupid considering the two weren't even looking at him). Nabiki felt the girl behind her tense up and bristle. A sweat broke across Nabiki's brow as the needle prodded harder onto her skin. One more millimeter closer and she would be injected. She could just kill those idiot guards for interrupting. She could have handled this girl easily without their interruption.

"It really is too bad..." Akane said softly before turning around and screaming, "I really didn't want to hurt you!" The poor guards didn't know what hit them. Nabiki didn't either. The needle had penetrated her neck too quickly and she was out cold.

If she had been awake, she would have seen what had hit the guards had actually been a large mallet. Akane now stood in the center of three, unconscious beaten-up men who were all lying in heaps on the floor. The bounty hunter had the large wooden mallet slung over one shoulder while she bit her bottom lip in thought. She really hadn't wanted it to be this way. Dealing with a fighting, conscious bounty was much more easy to deal with than a heavy, unconscious one. Deciding there was nothing she could do about it now, Akane let go of her mallet (which promptly disappeared as was in it's job description) and walked over to pick up Nabiki. With a quick glance around to see that no one saw, Akane headed towards her ship.

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It wasn't until Akane had placed the bounty on the second chair in her ship and closed the door did she noticed something was wrong. 

P-chan was gone.

On her deck was a note that said in big letters [LOOK UP]

Akane did so and the sight that greeted her made her blood boil. 

Genma and Ranma stood on their flying ship not to far away from her and in their arms was a tied-up, wide-eyed P-chan. 

The pig-tailed boy took one of the pig's tied hoofs and waved it as he mouthed, "Say bye-bye, piggy." With that he gave a laugh. Akane gave a howl of anger before settling down into her pilot's seat and rearing the ship up until it was in the air beside the other one. Proceeding, she switched in the transmittor television that was attached above her window and sent a message to the other ship.

Immediately, Ranma's face appeared on the screen with P-chan.

Not one for pleasantries, Akane shouted, "Give me back P-chan or die!"

The boy just gave a wry smirk and commented, "Didn't give me a lot of options there, did you?" 

Akane's only reply was another howl of outrage. 

The pig-tailed boy's grin grew wider.

"Give us back our bounty, tomboy, and we'll give you back your little P-chan," as Ranma said this, the girl's eyes narrowed and she clutched onto the shooter controls in front of her. 

Ranma's eyes widened in shock before he shouted to the man beside him, "Pull out, pops!" They pulled out barely in time to miss the ray of blue attacks that came their way. The old ship ducked this way and that as Akane's ship tailed behind with attacks and fires.

"Haha!" Ranma taunted through the screen. "Slow tomboy!"

"Die jerk!" and another round of fires shot towards Ranma. 

It went on like this for quite some time, with neither showing no thought of relenting. Akane wanted her P-chan back and Ranma was going to win that bounty. It had to all come to an end somehow, though. 

Ranma's face on Akane's screen was suddenly cut off by another transmission. A burly man with sunglasses and gold teeth appeared upon the screen.

"Aloha," the man greeted brightly.

"What do you want?" she yelled at the man.

The man in the colorful shirt's grin became wider.

"You have something of mine. I want it back. Give me the girl," the man commanded. 

"No way!" was the reply from the bounty hunter. The man's smile didn't slip.

"Very well," he said before the transmission was cut off and a barrage of attacks came towards Akane's ship. The female bounty hunter was now too busy ducking and weaving through the shots to pay much attention to Ranma.

"Hey, hey!" she said as she turned back the transmission. The man's face filled the screen once more.

"What's with all the violence?" she tried to yell platonically. It didn't work all that well.

The man's face was cool and businesslike.

"I don't deal well with resistance and negative answers," he replied. "Now give me the girl or suffer the consequences."

"Hey," Akane tried to work out a deal as she dodged the fire. "What's so special about her anyway. Come on now, I'm a pretty good shooter myself and-"

The transmission cut off and a new round of fire came towards Akane. The young bounty hunter quickly dodged through it before turning to the transmission again. This time, however, she was sending a message to the ones that had P-chan.

When the boy's face filled the screen, Akane said, "I'm getting onto your ship. Open up the side door."

Ranma grinned.

"Sorry. No more room for another ship, I'm afraid."

"I'll be bringing the bounty with me..." Akane held out the bait. 

As Ranma hesitated, Genma pushed him aside and said gruffly, "Get in and make sure you bring the girl."

Instead of giving a smile of gratitude, Akane just stuck out her tongue and steered her sip through the fires toward the back of the large, rusted ship. She landed not so softly inside and the doors gave a whoosh as they closed. When she stepped out of her own ship and onto the metal floor with the bounty under one arm, Akane had to sway and try to keep balance as the larger ship lurched.

She ran out of the hanger area to the place where she knew the two males must be...the navigation room. Ranma looked up from his seat next to Genma when she entered the room. 

He pointed a gun at her and commanded, "Put the bounty in the corner over there and have a seat."

Akane gave a sardonic smile.

"What? No welcome?" she asked as she did what he said. 

"You brought quite a welcome with you," Ranma said as the ship leaned to the side to miss more fires.

Akane ignored his comment.

"Where's P-chan?" she asked. The boy turned his head to the side where a little pig was currently bound and tied.

"P-chan!" Akane exclaimed and grabbed the piggy. Her eyes welled up with tears as she untied the animal. Ranma looked at her in surprise.

"Tears? From a tomboy like you? Who would have thought?" he stated wryly.

"Don't mock me!" Akane shouted before giving him a hard push. Ranma fell out of his chair and onto the floor where his gun slid a few feet away. A smooth hand picked it up and their eyes following the body, both bounty hunters soon found themselves staring at a smirking, _conscious_ bounty.

Nabiki moved the gun around in her hand for a few moments as though weighing it's weight in her hand before pointing it at the three. Genma was shaking as he tried to keep his concentration on avoiding the attacks.

"I hope you kept your receipt for that needle," Nabiki addressed to Akane.

"Go ahead," Akane said defiantly. Nabiki grinned before a shot rang out. Ranma gasped but the blue-haired bounty hunter quickly pulled out one of her hammers and deflected the bullet. 

"Child's pl-" Akane started to say but t he loud bang had frightened the animal in her arms. P-chan jumped towards the floor and scurried blindly forward until Nabiki bent down and scooped him up.

"Oooh, what a _cwute_ little _pwiggy_," the brown-haired girl said as she pressed her cheek to the piglet. Akane's eyes widened and she made a move forward, but the other's movements stopped her.

Nabiki held the end of the gun to the squirming pig's head.

"Oh, this is stupid," the male bounty hunter said as he started forward but Akane pulled him back.

"Don't you dare!" she exclaimed. "What if P-chan gets hurt!" The boy growled but made no further movements. 

Nabiki gave a little triumphant grin before starting to back away. Akane didn't take her eyes away from the bounty. She was waiting...waiting for a wrong move. As she waited, she kept an iron grip on Ranma's arm to keep him from moving also. 

The ship gave another lurch and Nabiki was gone. It was at that moment that the two bounty hunters gave chase. By the time they reached the hanger, Nabiki was already seated in Akane's ship and off the ground. She smiled once more before pushing P-chan off the ship and into Akane's waiting arms. There was a rush of air as the ship moved up and turned. It zoomed out of the room. 

Akane stared at the open gateway for a second before opening her mouth and giving the loudest scream of her life.

"My ship!" she shouted as she dropped P-chan and ran towards the open space. An arm reached out and pulled her back.

"You idiot!" the voice that went with the hand said. "You're going to kill yourself running into open space like that! How do you think you're going to breathe?"

Akane yanked her arm out of the boy's grip and whirled around to face him.

"Easy for you to say! That was _my_ ship!" she screamed in frustration.

"Well, the bounty and your ship's gone so-" 

Upon seeing the glint in Akane's eyes, Ranma stated, "-and you can just forget about taking my ship because it's not going to happen."

Akane growled and ground her teeth before walking near the edge of the open gateway and staring out. What was she going to do now? Her ship was gone. Ranma stared at the back of her head a second before he realized something. The large ship was no longer shaking and rocking. The fires had stopped. 

"Hey-" he started to say but Akane cut him off.

"What!"

"The ship...it stopped moving..."

The girl bounty turned around with puzzled eyes before starting to run towards the navigation room. Ranma was right beside her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time they reached the navigation room, they found Genma laying tired in his chair.

"What happened, Pop?" Ranma asked as he approached the other man.

"They stopped attacking us and chased after the bounty," was the answer.

P-chan in her arms, Akane said wryly to the two guys, "Well, my ship's gone. Guess I'm going to be staying here awhile."

The only answer she got was two simultaneous groans.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pig-tailed boy sat on the couch as he flipped cards onto the old coffee table in front of him. The place was oddly silent. Suddenly, he felt a presence in the open room beside himself. He didn't bother to look at her.

"What are you playing?" Akane asked as she watched him.

"Solitaire," was his reply. The girl smiled.

"Beautiful game isn't it? You never have to worry bout anyone cheating you," she commented. 

The boy looked up at her, his gray-blue eyes disconcerting.

"I hate it," was all he said. 

"Then, why do you play it?" Akane asked, slightly miffed.

Ranma threw the rest of the cards in his hand down onto the table and leaned his head back onto the couch. 

He spoke but it was mostly to himself.

"I guess I'm still looking for a partner," he mumbled. Akane had been out to say something but closed her mouth instead. She gulped and her eyes held a sad light. The few yards between them seemed so far. How very alike they were...and how very, very different. 

The difference being he had someone in mind. Someone far away in the recesses of his mind. He knew who he wanted his partner in this deadly game to be.

Her?

She just wanted a comrade. It didn't matter who.

"Keep searchin', cowboy," she said in disgust as she walked past him towards the bathroom.

Ranma peeked an eye open and watched her walk away.

His thoughts were clouded even to him, but he knew she had understood.

The bounty hunter smiled and closed his eyes again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes you win...sometimes you lose...sometimes there's no difference between the two...

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Author's Notes: It was much harder with this chapter for some reason. I had to struggle through every paragraph. Talk about a writer's block.


End file.
